Rotary engine.



PATENTBDIMAR. 27, 1906.

I ABBOTT. ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 4, 1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES. s &.zsmsw fly No. 816,285. PATENTBD MAR. 27, 1906. I. ABBOTT.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 4, 1904.

s SHEETS-SHEET 2.

W 11W 1 SSF5 WEQWSM" %MW PATENTED MAR. 27, 1906. I. ABBOTT. ROTARYENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED 1110.4, 1904.

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k u w n 3 W WITNESSES.

PATENT orFroE.

UNITED sTA rns Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 27', 1906.

Application filed August 4, 1904. Serial No. 219,456.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, IRA ABBOTT, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at l/Vyandotte, in the county of Wayne and State ofMichigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in RotarySteam-Engines, of which the following is a specification, referencebeing had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in rotary steam-engines and itsobject is to provide an engine of this type which is so constructed thatthe steam may be used expansively, and thus a maximum of power securedwith the use of a minimum amount of steam, and to so construct theengine that it may be very easily and quickly reversed by simply movinga single lever.

It is also an object of the invention to prevent the unequal expansionof the casing and the condensation of the steam in the cylinder andvalves by the peculiar arrangement of the steam-passages and to provideeilicient means for packing the cylinder and its blades to prevent thesteam from passing the same.

A further object of the invention is to economize space, securing a verysmall and compact engine developing a high horse power, and to provide avery simple construction, cheap to manufacture and having otheradvantages of the particular arrangement, construction, and combinationof parts, all as hereinafter more fully described, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of adevice embodying the invention; Fig. 2, a vertical section of the same,showing the rotary cylinder in end elevation; Fig. 3, a central verticalsection of the same, taken at right angles to that shown in Fig. 2. Fig.4 is a section on the line a; of Fig. 8; Fig. 5, a section of the casingon the line y y of Fig. 2 with one of the heads and the internal partsremoved to show the ports and passages. Fig. 6 is a perspective view ofthe bushing-ring detached; Fig. 7, a perspective view of thereversing-valve; Fig. 8, a perspective view of the rotary piston; Fig.9, a detail perspective view of one of the packing-ring segments forsaid piston with its springs; Fig. 10, a detail perspective view of oneof the piston blades or abutments, showing its packing-strip and springsseparated therefrom; and Fig. 11 a section of the piston, showing amodified form of packing-ring segments.

1 is the casing bored out to form a cylinder 2 and formed with a baseportion 3, which is provided with a chamber forming a steamchest 4 andis bored transversely at each side approximately one-quarter of arevolution without cutting off the passage, so that the valves willalways be full of live steam from the chest. Passages 7 are formed inthe casing leading to the intake-ports 8 and with which theoutlet-openings in the valves register as the valves are turned to admitsteam to the cylinder.

A boss or flanged nipple is provided at the top of the cylinder, towhich a steam-supply pipe may be attached in any suitable manner, andleading from the opening 9 in this boss are the steam-passages 10 in theform of grooves in the inner face of the cylinder extending downwardeach way from said opening adjacent to each end of the cylinder andcommunicating at their lower ends with the steam-chest. Exhaust-passages11 are formed in the casing between the passages 10 and extend downwardfrom the exhaustport 12 in each side of the cylinder around the valves 5to an exhaust-chamber 13 in the base, which chamber opens through therear side of the base, and into this opening may be screwed anexhaust-pipe.

14 is a bushing-ring which is of the same length as and fits tightlywithin the bore of the cylinder, the cylinder-heads 15 setting hardagainst the ring when bolted in place, and the ring thus covers andforms one'side of the steam-passages 10. Said ring is provided with arectangular opening 16 at each side, extending from above theexhaust-ports 12 in the cylinder downward to and a short distance beyondthe intake-ports 8 to receive the reversing-valve 17, adapted to slidelongitudinally therein. Flanges 18 extend inward along each side of eachopening at their inneredges, and flanges 19 on the sides of the valve atits outer edges engage the flanges 18 and hold the valve in place, thevalve being placed in the ring before said ring is forced into thecylinder. 7 Between the openings 16 is a web 20. The thickness of theflanges 18 IIO and the middle portion 21 of the valve is cut away toextend beneath this web and connect the two end portions thereof, whichare of the same thickness as the ring. These thickened end portions ofthe valve are shorter than the openings so as to permit the valve tomove longitudinally, and ports or openings 8 of the same size as thepassage 7 are provided in said end ortions to register with thepassages. T iese openings 8 are so positioned that when the valve ismoved longitudinally in one direction to close the exhaust-port 12 atthe side toward which the valve is moved and open the exhaust-port atthe other side the opening in that end vof the valve will 1 6g.- isterwith its passage and the opening in the opposite end will be moved outof line with its passage, and thus the steam will enter at one side ofthe cylinder and escape at the opposite side.

Mounted in bearings on theheads 15 is the shaft 23 and secured on saidshaft is a, rotary piston 24 of a length to fit between the heads andprovided with oppositely-extending longitudinal radial slots 25 toreceive the blades or movable abutments 26, adapted to slide radially insaid slots, said blades also being of a length to fit between the heads.

The piston is supported eccentrically with: i in the cylinder by theshaft, the bearings of j which are at a distance below the axes of the aheads, and the inner face of the bushing-ring i is cut away slightly atits lower side on a line concentric with the axis of the shaft to permitthe insertion of. the piston, which has a slightly greater radius thanthe distance fnOIn the axes of the shaft to the face of the ring 3directly below the shaft would be if the ring i was not so cut away.

The piston revolving i in proximity to the bushingering at the bot.- tomof the cylinder forms an abutment or;

wall at that point to prevent the steam from passing, and as the ring atthis point is concentric with the axisof the piston the piston contactsthe ring for a considerable distance, thus effectually preventing thesteam from blowing through.

To provide for the unequal expansion of the piston and bushing-ring, thering is cut away at 27, where the two come into proximity with eachother, and a contact-plate 28 is inserted, said plate being held firmlyagainst the piston by springs 29, one at each end of the plate, ingrooves 30, provided therefor in the ring.

The piston-blades or movable abutments 2,6 are held in contact with theinner surface of the ring or bushing by providing a groove or way 31 ineach cylindereheadili, which. grooves are concentric with the. axis ofthe cylinder, and on theends of each blade are providedoutwardly-,projecting studs or trunnions 32, engaging openings in thesegmental guide-blocks 33, which slide freely in said ways.

The blocks are held-in their ways by the blades, which fit between theheads, and

"as the ways are concentric with the cylinder the blades are heldconstantly in contact with the face of the cylinder as they are carriedaround by the eccentricpiston.

A groove 34 is provided in the ends and outer edges of each blade, andin this groove is .a packing-strip 35, consisting of two parts, eachpart formed of a bar bent at right angles to engage the groove in oneend of the blade, the ends .of the parts overlapping in the groove inthe outer edge at the center of the blade. Springs 36 are interposedbetween the strip and thebottom of the groove, those in the groove inthe outer edge holding the. strip firmly against the face of the bushingring and those in the end grooves tending to separate the parts andholding the bent end portions of the strip firmly against thecylinder-heads. Each blade is thus packed to prevent the steam frompassing the same, and-to prevent thesteam from leaking through betweenthe ends of the piston and the cylinder-heads grooves 37 are provided inthe endsof thepiston toreceive thepacking-ring segments 38, the ends ofeach of which abut against the sides of the blades and the segments areheld projected from their-grooves to engage the cylinder-heads by coiledsprings 39. As shown in Fig. 11, the ring-segments may be made in theform of a T in cross-section, the cross member forming an extended outerface 40 to contact the cylinder-head, and thus more effectually preventleakage andwear.

In the walls of the casing between the exhaust-passages 11- and theinteriorof the cylinder are provided small-holes 41 adjacent to thepassages 7-, andin the valve 17 are similar holes 42, adapted toregister therewith, said holes in the valve being so positioned thatwhenthe valve is shifted to open the exhaust at one side the hole inthat end-of the valve will register with the corresponding hole in thecasing, so that the air and steam which is trapped by the piston-bladein the an le formed by the junction of the piston with the bushing-ring,after said blade has passed the exhaust-port, may escape through saidholes into the exhaust-passage, thus relieving the back pressure whichwould otherwise be caused thereby.

To shift the. reversing-valve 17, teeth are cut in the under side ofsaid valve intermediate its ends, and journaled in suitable bearings onthe casing within the steam-chest 4 is a pinion 43,which extends upwardthrough an opening in the casing and engage" said teeth on the valve. Atoothed sector 44, engaging said pinion to turn the same, is secured toa shaft 45, mounted at one end in a bearing on the casing and atitsopposite end in a bushing 46,scr ewed into an opening in theforwardsideof the casing,- through which opening the said sector is inserted,and an op crating-lever 47 is provided on the outer end of the shaft toturn the same.

The inlet-valves 5 are operated by eccentrics 48 on the engine-shaft 23,each eccentric being connected to the stem 49 of its valve rectionsalike, and owing to their cylindrical form the casing may be bored rightthrough to receive the valves and the ends of the openings closed by theplugs 51,which form bearings for the valve-stems.

To center the piston between the cylinderheads, a sleeve 52 is sleevedon the engineshaft at each side of the piston, which sleeves extendoutward through the outwardly-extending hub-bearings 53, and these hubsare externally screw-threaded at their outer ends to receive caps 54,which engage the ends of the sleeves and force the same inward againstthe ends of the hub of the p'ston, so that by adjusting the caps thep'.ston may be moved and held centered, thus preventing it fromcontracting one head more than the other.

The reversing-lever being turned from a vertical position the inlet-portat one side and the exhaust-port at the opposite side of the cylinderare opened, and when steam is admitted to the steamchest it will passthrough one of the valves 5 and up through the passage 7 and port 8 intothe cylinder, striking the piston-blade squarely, as shown in FIg. 2,the passage opening into the cylinder on a tangent to the piston. Whenthe blade has moved to a point at a predetermined distance from theexhaust-port, the inlet-valve 5 closes and the blade is moved the restof the distance to the exhaust-port by the expansive force of the steam,the point at which the steam will be cut off being determined by theposition of the eccentrics 48, which position may be changed as desired.The ports are also so arranged relative to the piston that just beforeone blade reaches the exhaust-port the other blade passes theintake-port, and therefore there is a constant pressure on the blades,making a very still and smooth running engine, developing a very highhorse-power in proportion to the amount of steam used and the size ofthe engine.

By providing a like arrangement of ports, passages, and valves at eachside of the cylinder and the reversing-valve controlling said ports theengine may be reversed by simply shifting the reversing-lever, and theparticular construction and arrangement of the parts gives a very neat,compact, and efficient device.

What I claim is 1. In a rotary engine, the combination of a cylinderhaving its inner face cut away for a distance at its lower side to forma re cess therein and provided with inlet and exhaust ports on oppositesides, heads on the cylinder provided with bearings below the axis ofthe cylinder, a shaft in said bearings extending longitudinally throughthe cylinder, a rotary piston provided with radial slots secured on saidshaft, blades in said slots movable radially therein, studs on saidblades, ways in the cylinder-heads arranged concentrically with the axisof the cylinder, blocks in said ways having openings to receive saidstuds, a contact-plate within said recess, and springs to hold saidplate in contact with the piston to prevent the passage of the steam.

2. In a rotary engine, the combination with a cylinder having ports, ofheads in the cylinder having outwardly-extending hubbearings externallyscrew-threaded at their outer ends, a shaft in said bearings, a rotarypiston secured to said shaft, sleeves on the shaft at each side of thepiston engaging the hub of the same at one end and extended outwardthrough the bearings, and internallyscrew-threaded caps on the outerends of the hub-bearings to engage the ends of the sleeves and force thesame inward against the hub of the piston to center the same in thecylinder.

3. In a rotary engine, the combination with a cylinder having an inletand an exhaust port, a rotary piston mounted eccentrically within thecylinder and forming an abutment, blades carried by said piston, a baseportion having a chamber forming a steam-chest and bored transversely toform a valve-chamber communicating through passages with the steam-chestand inlet-port, a cylindrical valve in said valve-chamber open to thesteam-chest and provided with an opening to register with the passageleading to the inletport, and means for rocking said valve in timedrelation to the movement of the piston.

4. In a rotary engine, the combination of a cylinder havingsteam-passages formed in its inner face and leading around the same froman opening in its top and provided with inlet and exhaust ports betweensaid passages, a

bushing-ring covering the passages and provided with openings oppositethe ports, a piston mounted eccentrically within the cylinder with oneside engaging the ring between the ports, and means for opening andclosing said ports.

, 5. In a rotary engine, the combination with a cylinder having anintake and an exhaust port at each side, a bushing-ring fitting withinsaid cylinder and having openings opposite said ports, a slide-valvewithin said IIO openings in the ring to open and close said ports, arotary piston mounted eccentrically within the cylinder with one sideengaging the bushing-ring betweentheports and forming an abutment,blades carried by said piston, and means for moving the valve.

6. In arotary engine, the combination of a cylinder havingsteam-passages leading around the same from an opening at its top andprovided with inlet andeXhaust ports between said passages; abaseportion having a chamber forming a steamchest.into which thesteam-passages open, valve-chambers at eachside of said chestcommunicating with said chest and with the-,inlet-ports, an eX-haust-chamber, and exhaust-passages leading from the exhaust-ports tosaidexhaustehamber around the valvechambers andbetween the steampassages a rotary piston. in said cylinder having blades; valves in thevalve-chambers; andmeans for operating said valves.

7. In a rotary engine, the combination of. a cylinder having an inletand an exhaust port, at each side and. having its inner face recessedadjacent to said ports, a slide-valve ijn said recess to control theports, arotarypiston mounted eccentrically withinrthe cylinder andcontaetingthe face of the cylinder between its ports, blades carriedbysaid.pis-.

ton, and means for moving the valve longitudinally in its, recess.

8. In a rotary, engine,

port in each side, heads on said cylinder having hearings at one s;de oftheir axes, a shaft in said hearings, a rotarypiston secured on theshaftand engaging the cylinder at one side to form an abutment, bladesradially movable insaid piston, studs on said blades, ways on the headsconcentric with the axis of the cylinder into which ways the studsproject,.a longitudinallyemovable valve in the face of the cylinder to,cover the exhaustports at each side and provided with openings toregister with the inlet-ports, a steamchest below the cylinder, a shaftmounted in bearings on the walls of said chest,a sector on said shaftwithin the chest to operatethe slide-valve, and a lever secured to theouter end of said shaft to. turn the same to shift the valve.

v9. In a rotary engine,

the combination of ,a cylinderhavlng an inlet and an exhaust port ateach side and having its inner face recessed adjacent tosaid ports toreceive a valve, a valve in said recess to open and close the ports,means for shifting said valve, heads on the cylinder provided withbearings at one side of the axis of the cylinder, a shaft in saidbearings extending outward through the same, a rotary piston on saidshaft contacting the face of the cylinder between its ports,

the combination of. a cylinder having an inlet and an exhaust bladescarried by said,pistonin contact with the face of thecylinder, baseportion having a steamrchest and ,transverse bores at each side ofsaidichestlorminglvalvefchambers, passages beinglformedinthe baseconnecting the chest and valve-chambers and the valve-chambers withtheinlet-ports, cy-

ing stems extending outside the b as'e' ,1 eccentries on theengine-shaft, arms on the valvesten1 s, and connecting-rods eennectingthe eccentrics and arms.

10. Ina rotary, engine, the combination ef y nd arms ei ep' n s at ituppe i-de erse e k t i n e Extending around the cylind er; e ach lwayfrom saigdj opennear eachendof the eyllnderfaniinlet lindrical valves inthe valve-chambers havand bored cylindrlcalvalves having closed ends in'valve chamb ers; plugs in "the outer ends ef the valve-cha nb'ers toclose the same valvestems extendingthrongh the plugs at one end; armsonfthe outerends'of saidstems a ,vcover the'grooves inthe face thereofand formed with openings opposite the ports havina i ly teild iee a lonitu nallyemovableva lv e to it within openings in the, ring and providedwith openings slots, a contact-plate in thelowerside of the cylinderengagingtthe side of the pistonto forman abutment a pinion mounted inbear ings in the steam-chest and engaging teeth the lowerside of theslide-valve; afsha ft mounted i bearings on the walls of the chest; asector on said shaft engaging the plnioina hand-lever on the outer endof said shaft; eccentrics on the englneshaft and connectingrods.connecting the eccentrics and the ends of the arms on the valvestems.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.4

IRA

i ,Witnesses:

' FR ANK M. SHowAL r R,

OTTO 7 F. Bertram.

bushing ring fitting within the cylinder to

